by Anna Brooks
“Oh, sorry.” I take off a glove and walk over to him to shake his hand. He holds on and looks into my eyes as I introduce myself. “I’m Mellicent. Everyone calls me Mellie, though.”
“Nice to meet you.” His light green eyes continue gazing into mine. “So you bought the place, huh?”
I pull my hand from his soft one and shake my head. “No, the owner left it to me. I’m just going to fix it up and sell it. Did you know him at all?”
“No. I rarely saw him, and when I did, he wasn’t the friendliest man.”
“Yeah. I’ve heard that about him.”
He walks over to the door and looks inside. “You’re doing all the work yourself?”
“No, I have a contractor, but I wanted to get a jump on it.”
Without asking my permission, he steps inside the house. I wait out on the back patio as I take off my other glove and tuck them in my back pocket. No way in hell am I following him in.
I look at my phone in the speaker dock and wonder if I have time to grab it. He asks something from deeper inside the house, but I can’t understand him from way out here. I’m not going in that house alone with him; that’s like horror movie one-oh-one.
He appears again, holding a pliers in his hand. I can feel my eyes widening as he approaches me. I back up, trip over my own feet, and fall on my ass. He reaches down, and I scream, crawling away as fast as I can crab walk before I regain my bearings and run.
“Why are you running?” he asks as he follows me around the backyard.
I get to the corner of the house then turn to take off even faster but run into something hard.
“Whoa.” Smith’s voice rumbles against my ear, and my knees give out. “Mellie, what’s wrong?”
Footsteps sound behind me through the dry leaves, and I grip Smith’s shirt harder, finding comfort and security in a man I don’t even know.
He stiffens and wraps an arm around me. “The fuck?” he whispers to himself then raises his voice. “Who the hell are you?”
“I’m Dale. My wife and I live next door. I just introduced myself to her.”
I shiver at his voice, and Smith’s arm bands around me even tighter.
“Why are you chasing her with a damn pliers?” His anger makes me feel just a little bit safer. The fact that he doesn’t question me or act as if I’m overreacting is reassuring.
“I was taking a look around and wanted to ask her if this was the only tool she had to rip the staples out of the floor with. I’d offer her something better.”
His story sounds genuine. Well, hell, now I feel stupid. I loosen my grip and try to step away, but Smith doesn’t let me move.
“I think it’s best you head on home to your wife.” Smith’s aggressive tone is accusatory, and I try to push off him again, but he doesn’t let me. “Don’t,” he says against the top of my head.
“Sure. Sorry to scare you, Mellicent.”
The gate creaks when he walks through it, and I count to ten in my head to calm down. Smith turns me but keeps an arm over my shoulder and walks me inside. He looks around and shakes his head then puts his hands on my shoulders. Looking not at my eyes but into them, he asks, “Are you okay?”
Chapter 2
Smith
“Yeah, I’m fine.” She straightens her shoulders beneath my hands, and I step back.
“Fuck, Mellie, why are you here?”
She looks guilty. “I was trying to get some stuff done.”
“I told you we’d start on Monday,” I snap. Fuck, Jay’ll have my ass if his baby sister gets hurt on my watch.
She steps back from me and puts her hands on her hips. “And I told you I want to go back home as soon as possible.”
“Get your shit together.”
“Excuse me?”
Her attitude is surprising, especially since Jay warned me to treat her like glass because she’s so fragile. “It’s not safe for you to be here. Or did you not get that just now?”
“Just because I’m a woman doesn’t mean—”
“There could be asbestos and or mold, sunshine. Not only is it stupid for you to be ripping shit up, but yeah, a woman alone in an empty house falls under that category, too.” Especially one as pretty as you are.
Her face reddens. “I’m not stupid.”
“I know you’re not. Which is why you’re going to get your stuff and get out of here. Then you’re going to do whatever you have to do until I call you and let you know it’s safe for you to be back in here.”
“Don’t tell me what to do.”
I take a breath and try to reason with her. “You really wanna be alone in this house, Mellie? You were fuckin’ running away from the neighbor when I got here.”
“Why are you here?” She looks at my clothes—a light blue button-down shirt and pair of dark jeans with brown boots.
“I was on my way out and saw the lights on and your car, so I decided to stop to see what the hell you were up to.”
“I was trying to get some work done, and—AHH!”
I stiffen and turn around, then step in front of her when I see the neighbor is back, walking through the kitchen. “Sorry.” He holds his hand up with the pliers in it. “Just wanted to return this.”
“You think it’s okay to walk right the fuck up in her place, man?” I step toward him and clench my fists, wanting to deck him for being such an idiot.
“Sorry.” He looks around me at Mellie, and I watch his eyes darken.
Hell, no. “Get outta here, asshole.” I grab the pliers out of his hand and push him out the same way he came in. Pointing at him when he’s on the deck, I warn, “Don’t fuckin’ come back here. Especially when she’s here, you got me?”
He holds up his hands. “Hey, man. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare her.”
I ignore him and return to the house, where I shut and lock the back door. My anger level rises at the nerve of this prick. I don’t know Mellie well, but her brother saved my life, and I’ll be damned if something happens to her when I’m around. The fact that I felt something stir deep inside me the moment I saw her has nothing to do with it either.
I grab her phone and bag, because she’s going back to the hotel. When I reach her in the living room, which she actually made good progress with, she’s got her arms wrapped around her chest.
“Mellie. It’s okay. He’s gone.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Nothin’ to be sorry about.” I don’t blame her for being scared; the dude has that creepy vibe goin’ on. Wire-rimmed glasses, his hair slicked back, and a tucked in polo shirt done up to the top button. “Let’s get you outta here.”
“Okay.”
Glad she’s finally listening, I follow her out to her car and squint my brows when I see she’s still shaking. “Hey.” I grab her hands. “You sure you’re all right?”
“Mmmhmm.” She nods and runs her shaky fingers up and down her arms.
“When did you eat last?”
“Before I got here.”
“When was that?”
“Umm, I think like ten.”
Almost eleven hours ago. “Jesus, you’re probably starving.”
“I’m okay. I have some food at the hotel.”
My phone vibrates in my pocket, but I ignore it. Vivian can wait. After last night, I want nothing to do with her anymore, so this will be the last time I see her. “You sure?”
“Yeah.”
“I’ll follow you back, all right?”
She swallows and nods. “Sure.”
The more I think about Dale, the warier I become. I’m not a cop anymore, but the instincts I have for a person’s character have never left. I have a bad feeling in my gut by the time we get to the hotel, but I push that aside and walk her to her door.
“Thank you. I’m sorry I’m so jumpy.”
“No need to apologize.”
“Smith?”
“Yeah?”
She hesitates and then shakes her head. “Nothing. Never mind. Good ni
ght.”
Her face reflects the same disappointment I feel. “Night.”
I head to the restaurant and get honked at for sitting at a red light because my mind is stuck on Mellie and her innocent green eyes. Her long legs and even longer blonde hair. How good she felt when she was holding on to me for dear life. Fuck me, can’t be thinkin’ about Jay’s little sister like that.
By the time I get to the restaurant, I’m almost twenty-five minutes late. Vivian is on her phone when I walk up. “Sorry I’m late.” The least I can do is feed her, but we have our dinner in silence. I’m waiting to get my credit card back from the waiter, and I’m just about to let her down, when my phone rings. Jay’s calling, so I answer it.
“Yeah, man?”
“Do you know where Mellie’s staying?”
“Yeah.”
“Can you go check on her?” Fear in his voice has me pushing my chair back.
I mouth “I have to go” to Vivian.
“What the fuck?” She screeches. “You’re such an asshole.”
I sign the credit card receipt and take off. I don’t give a shit that she’s pissed. I don’t know why she thinks she’s anything more than convenient. “Already on my way. What’s up?” My truck starts with a growl, and I pull out, heading to the hotel.
“I was talking to her, and she started freaking out because she said someone was knocking on her door.”
“Was it the maid or something?”
“Nah, she said she looked through the peephole and nobody was there, but every time she walked away, they started knocking again.”
“Did she tell you what happened earlier?”
“No. What?” he yells.
I give him a rundown on the neighbor and reassure him that I’ll keep an eye on her. “Pulling up now. I’ll be in touch.”
Ignoring the woman at the front desk, I jog through the lobby and head straight to her room, skipping the elevator and running up the stairs to the third floor. The hallway is clear, so whoever it was has left. When I reach her room, I announce myself before I knock so I don’t freak her out any more.
She opens the door. Her eyes are red and puffy, and she’s wiping her nose with a Kleenex. “Jay called you,” she states, not asking. She knows her brother well.
“Jesus, Mellie. You okay?”
I close and lock the door behind me, and she tries to get herself together. She struggles to catch her breath, and I can’t take it anymore. I wrap her in my arms and carry her over to the bed. Then I rest my back against the headboard, and she curls her body against mine. “What happened?”
“Someone kept, kept knocking.” She sniffs and shivers. “When I asked who it was or when I looked, nobody was there. And they kept doing it.”
I rub her back and try to get her to calm down. “It’s okay. It was probably just some punk kids being asses.”
“Probably,” she agrees and cuddles in closer. “I hate being so scared all the time.” Her voice is small and quiet, almost like she’s embarrassed. I hate that.
“It’s okay, Mellie. I’m here now.”
I wonder if something happened to her to make her so skittish, but since Jay’s never mentioned anything, I doubt it. If she had some kind of trigger or something, he’d have let me know. He always talked about his sister like she was an angel. He worships the ground she walks on and is fiercely protective of her. I’m honestly surprised he even let her come here on her own, and when I said that to him, his reply was, “You’re there.” So now, it’s my job to watch over her.
Minutes tick by and her body gets heavier against mine. For as reserved and afraid as she is, I’ve no idea why she’s letting me hold her, why she trusts me. I’ve no idea why I’m being so damn nice to her. I also have no idea why I don’t want to let her go. It’s only temporary, so for Jay, I’ll do it. I’ll comfort his sister and make sure she feels safe.
I hold her in my arms, secretly liking how small she is and how good she smells, like fresh flowers and soap. Her damp hair drapes over my arm and soaks through the material, but I don’t care. Her breaths even out, and when I look down at her, her eyes are closed and her mouth is slightly open, soft pants coming through it. Even more beautiful when she sleeps.
I don’t want to wake her, so I carefully slip my phone out of my pocket, text Jay that she’s okay, and toss it on the bed before I shut the lamp off.
My fingers itch to touch her again, but I force myself not to. I can’t. Not only is she Jay’s sister, but she’s at least ten years younger than I am. She doesn’t even live here, and no way in hell would she be up for a quick fuck. She screams innocence. Hell, I’d be surprised if anyone’s ever touched her.
My cock hardens under my pants with just the thought of her, untouched—fuck, I bet she’d be tight as hell—pure, and inexperienced. God, to teach someone what I like, to have her know how to please only me… “Damn,” I whisper.
And that’s when I know I need to get her soft body away from mine. I shift her so I can slide out from underneath her and lay her on her side. I grab a blanket and toss it over her small frame. Walking over to the door, I curse under my breath.
There’s no way I can leave her here without putting the chain lock on. I backtrack and grab my cell, take off my boots and jeans, and then lie on the couch. She rolls over, kicking the covers off; her little shorts ride up so high, it’s obvious she’s naked underneath them. I close my eyes with a sigh and a sinking feeling in my gut about the beauty who’s stirring things inside me I never wanted to feel.
* * *
“Smith.” Something pokes me, and I open an eye to see Mellie’s smiling face above me. Fuck, that’s nice to wake up to.
“Hey.” I sit up, and her eyes widen, and she quickly turns around. “Sorry.” I toss a pillow over my morning wood.
“You didn’t have to stay.” She busies herself with putting her shoes on, and I chuckle under my breath at how embarrassed she is at the sight of a tent in my boxers. Innocent.
“I didn’t want to leave without locking the chain.” I pull my jeans back on.
“Oh. Thank you.”
“What are your plans today?”
She glances at me over her shoulder and relief flashes across her face when she sees I’ve put my pants on. “It’s my day off. I never work on Sundays.”
“What do you do?”
“I’m a freelance editor. But if I don’t give myself a day off, I’ll work myself to the bone.”
“Cool.” I don’t know what that means, but I assume an editor is an editor.
She ties her hair in a ponytail and pauses halfway. “Thank you for stopping by. I’m sorry I was such a baby.”
It takes a lot of guts to apologize, and for someone so frightened all the time, she’s got balls. “Mellie, it’s fine. Promise.”
“Okay.” She tucks some stray hairs behind her ears and reaches for her purse.
“Where are you going?”
“I dunno. Figure I’d look around town. Just get out, get some fresh air.”
She shocks me. Intrigues me. She’s scared as shit one minute, but then the next, she wants to go off on her own. “You okay by yourself?”
Before she speaks, she nods, more to herself than to me. “Yes.”
“All right. Later.” I let myself out and walk down the hall and out to my truck. My keys are in my hand, but I can’t force myself to put them into the ignition. Fuck me. I can’t let her. A twenty-two-year-old girl roaming out on her own with no clue where anything is and perverts eye fuckin’ her whenever she walks into a room. Nope.
Just as I’m turning around, she walks out the front door of the hotel, busy looking on her phone. She looks up and skips over to me, her blonde hair blowing behind her. “I thought you were leaving.”
“I was, but um… I just thought.” Get your shit together, man. Jesus. “Want me to show you around?”
Her face beams. “Yes. To be honest, I was almost going to turn around and go back inside because I’m such a chi
ckenshit. It’d be nice to have a tour guide if you’re sure you don’t mind.”
“It’s all good. I don’t mind at all.”
“Well, I appreciate it. Thank you.”
I should be the one thanking her; it’s been a long while since I’ve spent time with a woman so pure. She makes me feel lighter, almost. “I’ve gotta run home and shower. Then we can start the day by eating the best damn pancakes you’ve ever had.”
“That sounds great.” Her smile is infectious, and I find myself echoing the sentiment.
* * *
She doesn’t ask to turn the radio on in the truck, which surprises me. Anytime someone is in the car with me, they always want music. I like the silence, and I like that she does too. I like that, even after a bad night, she’s starting the day off on a good note. The best thing life can offer you is a second chance, and you get one every morning when you open your eyes. My mother used to say that and I try to remember it each day when I wake up.
When we get to my house, I give her a quick tour of the downstairs and she hesitantly sits on the couch. I turn on the TV for her before heading to the shower. I ignore how easily she fits in my house. How comfortable I am around her after such a short time.
As the water heats up against my skin, I grit my teeth together and try to not. I shouldn’t. I know I shouldn’t. When my dick hardens, I wash my hair, trying to ignore it. By the time I rinse off, I’m at full mast and decide just to do it. Otherwise, I’ll have a raging boner all damn day around this girl. I mean, Christ, she’s wearing cut-off denim shorts and an off-the-shoulder top, which almost completely bares one shoulder.
I grip my cock and fuck my hand, thrusting into my fist and pretending it’s her pussy. I squeeze even harder, imagining how tight she’d be. Wondering if she’d be able to take all of me the first time or if I’d have to get her off with just the tip.
This is wrong. It’s so wrong. Her brother saved my life. If he finds out the things I imagine about his baby sister, he’ll put a bullet between my eyes. She sure doesn’t look like a baby, though. She’s stunning, like a fucking model. A small nose and big green eyes. Her pouty pink lips would look amazing wrapped around my cock…